Baltimore Wedding Caterers Guide, Baltimore Wedding Guide Advice from OurWeddingDay.com

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Baltimore Wedding Caterers Guide

Finding the Perfect Food for Your Maryland Reception

Baltimore is known for many wonderful things, among them its glorious food. Seafood’s the specialty, but in Maryland’s most cosmopolitan city, anything goes. For your Baltimore wedding, finding the perfect caterer should be as exciting as your celebration on this sea-of-love town. Read on for coastal tips.

Start searching for your Baltimore caterer about 9 months’ prior to your wedding, even earlier if you have the time. You don’t need to have your Baltimore reception site picked out, and the best caterers get booked up far in advance. Prices for Baltimore wedding caterers vary tremendously, depending on the size of your wedding, the site, and your personal style. Expect to pay anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000.

When looking for caterers in Baltimore, ask friends and relatives, as well as other vendors. If you have a favorite Baltimore restaurant, enquire if they do weddings. Most caterers take care of all food and beverages, hire all servers and bartenders, and are in charge of setup and cleanup.

When you’re ready to start interviewing potential wedding caterers, check out the OurWeddingDay.com Baltimore Local Vendor Section for a list of top-rated caterers in the Baltimore area.

Once you start the interview process, be sure to tell the company exactly what you have in mind for your wedding, and any special needs your guests might have. Can the caterer manage a kosher wedding? What about vegetarian dishes? A good caterer should have 5-7 years’ experience, and you should ask for references and contact the Better Business Bureau for complaints.

Next to food and beverages, the most important thing your Baltimore caterer should abound in is personality; if the guy you’re interviewing has an attitude problem, chances are his staff will too. Ask about the attire of the servers and let him know of any preferences regarding personality types. Meet with the Party Staff Coordinator (generally hired by the caterer) to go over the style of your reception and expectations of servers.

Some cost-cutting measures to discuss with the caterer include having a buffet instead of a seated meal, and limiting the bar to wine and champagne. If you want a full bar, you can substitute medium-shelf liquor for top-shelf brands. The dessert dish can be eliminated, and you can place hors d’oeuvres stations in the room as opposed to having servers pass trays around.

Reliable Baltimore wedding caterers will do a walk-through before your wedding (even if the reception is as your home), to make sure food storage is accurate, and to sort out any unforeseen glitches. The wait staff is generally served a meal right before or right after the reception, so as to avoid service lapses. Gratuity for all workers should be included in the contract; if you decide to give an additional tip, it should be handed to the caterer in charge at the end of the night.

-David Toussaint